east

noun

1. The direction of the earth's rotation, specifically 90°.

   “Portsmouth is to the east of Southampton.”

   “We live in the east of the country.”

   “The sun rises in the east.”

   “The levanter wind is in/from the east.”

   “In a few hours the birds come to it from all points of the compass – east, west, north, and south […]”

2. The eastern region or area; the inhabitants thereof.

   “We, in the west, agreed amongst ourselves that a penitentiary should be erected with our half of the money arising as above stated; and the east agreed to improve the country in their vicinity with the other half.”

3. In a church: the direction of the altar and chancel; the direction faced by the priest when celebrating ad orientem.

   “However, in Mies' chapel, liturgical east is magnetic west.”

   “The tapestry by Graham Sutherland that occupies the whole wall of the liturgical east and geographic north of the cathedral is recognisable to the point of visual exhaustion.”

adj

1. (not-comparable)Situated or lying in or towards the east; eastward.
2. (not-comparable)Blowing (as wind) from the east.
3. (not-comparable)Of or pertaining to the east; eastern.
4. (not-comparable)From the East; oriental.
5. (not-comparable)Designating, or situated in, the liturgical east.

   “the east front of a cathedral”

   “Throughout the book I refer directionally to the altar and chancel of St. Andrew's as situated at ecclesiastical east (to avoid overcomplicating matters), not geographical or magnetic southeast. Thus, the altar is located at the east end of the church, and the gallery, at the west.”

   “The tapestry by Graham Sutherland that occupies the whole wall of the liturgical east and geographic north of the cathedral is recognisable […] a huge image of Christ on the [liturgical] east end, filling the entire wall and to be visible through the [liturgical] West Window (Fig. 24.2).”

adv

1. Towards the east; eastwards.

name

1. (countable, uncountable)Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.

   “[…] I sat down and wrote, / In such a hand as when a field of corn / Bows all its ears before the roaring East; […]”

   “Up the two terrace flights of steps the rain ran wildly, and beat at the great door, like a swift messenger rousing those within; uneasy rushes of wind went through the hall,[…]. East, West, North, and South, through the woods, four heavy-treading, unkempt figures crushed the high grass and cracked the branches, striding on cautiously to come together in the court-yard.”

2. (countable, uncountable)Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.

   “I remember a hearty welcome; a prodigious supper, which would have fed a whole village in the East; […]”

   “¹⁰ In any event, Darius' visitors urged him to "establish the statute and sign the writing, in order for it not to be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which is not annulled." (Daniel 6:8) In the ancient East, the will of a king was often regarded as absolute. This perpetuated the notion that he was infallible. Even a law that could cause the death of innocent people had to remain in effect!”

3. (countable, uncountable)Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.
4. (countable, historical, uncountable)Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.
5. (countable, historical, uncountable)Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.
6. (countable, uncountable)Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.

   “The words may suggest that the Roman rite is in some way superior to those of the East: a fallacy now equally reprobated by Rome.”

7. (countable, uncountable)Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.
8. (countable, uncountable)Any of various particular regions named for the cardinal direction in which they lie.
9. (countable, uncountable)A personification of the wind from the east.

   “Near-synonyms: easter, levanter”

10. (countable, uncountable)A surname.